UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voices support for democracy in Myanmar

Two years after Myanmar’s military seized power, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced support Monday for the democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar and warned that the military’s planned election amid a crackdown on civilians and political leaders “will lead to instability”. Will increase.”

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the secretary-general strongly condemns all forms of violence in Myanmar as the crisis in the country is worsening “and fueling serious regional ramifications.”

The military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, arresting her and top members of her governing National League for Democracy party, which won a landslide victory for a second term in the November 2020 general election It was Election.

Security forces suppressed widespread opposition to the military takeover with lethal force, killing approximately 2,900 civilians and arresting thousands of people involved in nonviolent protests. This barbaric action gave rise to armed resistance in most parts of the country. The military government has designated major organizations opposing military rule as “terrorist” groups.

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The military drafted a new law on the registration of political parties, published on Friday, that will make it more difficult for opposition groups to seriously challenge military-backed candidates in general elections due later this year. It sets minimums for parties, including membership levels 100 times higher than those for the 2020 elections, as well as strict funding requirements.

A UN spokesman said Guterres was “concerned by the military’s declared intention to hold elections amidst the arrest, intimidation and harassment of political leaders, civil society actors and journalists, as well as aerial bombardment and the burning of civilian homes.” “Without conditions that allow the people of Myanmar to freely exercise their political rights, the proposed elections increase instability.”

Dujarric said the secretary-general “stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and supports their democratic aspirations for an inclusive, peaceful and just society and the protection of all communities, including the Rohingya.”

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, delivers his speech at the IX Moscow Conference on International Security in Moscow, June 23, 2021. The UN Secretary-General recently voiced his support for the democratic aspirations of the people of Myanmar.
(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Poole, File)

Longstanding discrimination against Rohingya Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, including denial of citizenship and many other rights, exploded in August 2017, when Myanmar’s military launched a crackdown on Rohingya in northern Myanmar in response to attacks on police and border guards. Launched an evacuation operation in Rakhine State. extremist group. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh, where they live in camps, as soldiers allegedly carried out mass rapes and killings and torched thousands of homes.

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In January 2020, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court, ordered Myanmar to make every effort to stop the genocide against the Rohingya. Two days ago, an independent commission set up by Myanmar’s government concluded that there were reasons to believe that security forces committed war crimes against the Rohingya – but not genocide.

Guterres welcomed the first resolution on Myanmar adopted by the UN Security Council on December 21, calling for an immediate end to violence in the Southeast Asian nation and the release of all “arbitrarily detained” prisoners, including Suu Kyi, from its military rulers. was requested to be released. Restore democratic institutions.

The resolution calls on the conflicting parties to pursue dialogue and reconciliation and urges all parties to “respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law”.

Dujarric said the secretary-general considered the resolution “an important step forward and underlines the need to strengthen international solidarity.”

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The spokesman said that the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Noolyn Hazar, called on the Security Council to “engage intensively with all relevant parties in Myanmar to end the violence and support the return of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations”. will coordinate closely with For democracy. Indonesia took over the ASEAN chair from Cambodia on 1 January.

“The United Nations remains committed to staying in Myanmar and addressing the many vulnerabilities arising from the military’s actions from February 2021,” Dujarric said.

“The Secretary-General renewed his call on neighboring countries and other Member States to urge the military leadership to respect the wishes and needs of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms,” ​​a UN spokesperson said.